Suture anchors are well known in the art. Suture anchors are typically used to anchor soft tissues such as tendons, and the like, to bone using a suture. The suture anchor is typically secured in a bone and sutures, previously having been inserted into tissue, are then threaded through the suture anchor to tension the tissue and hold it in place. The tissue is tensioned to the bone via the suture attached to the anchor.
Typically, the suture is threaded through a small hole, or series of holes in the anchor and some suture anchors come pre-loaded with the sutures. The suture can then be knotted to prevent release of the suture from the suture anchor. However, the need for knotting can increase surgical time and provide a weak point for suture breakage, hence a need exists for a suture anchor that is fast to use, readily allows for re-tensioning of a suture, and does not introduce knotting weakness to the suture.
Surgical cannulas are used to enter areas within the body such as the shoulder, knee, or abdomen. The cannula provides a means for passing surgical instruments into and out of a subject. Cannulas are also used as a channel to introduce surgical implements such as surgical instruments, suture anchors, or sutures. Such surgical cannulas typically have a single chamber that is conducive to instruments or items touching and either cross-contaminating one another or disturbing the function of each other. Such surgical cannulas are also subject to the cannula readily pulling out of the subject or falling into a subject and requiring re-insertion or extraction. A need exists for cannulas that resist the tendency to push out of a subject, or fall into a subject. Also multi-chambered cannulas are desired.